


In sickness and in health

by plikki



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, MultiBug?, Sick Marinette, Silly akuma, Some side Adrienette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26982772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: When Ladybug asks for some time off, Adrien is more than willing to help. He even figures out who'd be the perfect partner to help him. What he didn't expect was for this partner to become sick and for him to start piecing together some unexpected things.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 135
Kudos: 336





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I should start by saying that this was going to be a pretty simple and straightforward reveal (sounds familiar?), but then I started brainstorming this idea with Lou and she helped me figure out how to give it some more substance. And since you know I don't like writing long and winding one-shots, I think it will work better as a few chapters, especially because it will all take place over a few days.  
> Tagging proved to be difficult, but I guess it will become clearer in the next chapters. I'm sorry about the title, for some reason my mind went there and decided it would be funny 😁  
> Enjoy!

“You are what?” Adrien asked, watching the Miracle egg in his hands in astonishment.

“Taking some time off,” his lady explained again, patiently, no doubt having expected his reaction. “You told me you wanted to help. And I feel really run down at the moment. So I’m taking you up on your offer.”

“Do you really trust me with this?” Suddenly it all felt too real. She was leaving him to deal with this on his own. He had to face Hawk Moth alone, without a Ladybug to think up plans. No, he’d be the one to do it. What if he messed up everything?!

“I do,” she said, a hand coming to rest on top of his own. “You can do a great job as Mister Bug. I also think you’ll love spending time with Tikki. She encouraged me to do it.”

“What about Plagg?”

“I’m sure he wouldn't mind a little rest too,” she said with a small laugh. She was right, of course.

“And the Miraculouses?” He said, looking down. How did she do it all? It seemed like such a great responsibility. No wonder she needed a break.

“I’m not leaving you to deal with this on your own. I trust you, but I also know how valuable a good partner is. You know which superheroes were compromised. You know most of the Miraculouses and Tikki can help you with the rest. Choose wisely,” she finished with a smile. “You can do it, right?” She asked after a few seconds of him continuing to stare at the egg. He shook his head. This was no time for hesitation. His lady needed him. It was his opportunity to prove his worth.

“I will do it for you. You really need a rest. And I hope when you come back, you’ll be even more amazing,” he said with a grin.    
“Thank you, kitty. This means the world to me. Although - and don’t make too much out of it! - I’ll miss you. And I won't even have a kwami to keep me company. But I have to do it for both of us.” There was so much affection in her voice that in spite of her warning he couldn’t stop the flutter in his heart. He was getting better at this. And still at times, he was helpless in the face of the emotions she still invoked in him.

He put aside the egg and quickly wrapped her up in his embrace. 

“I’m going to miss you too, m’lady,” he said, committing to memory every detail, from how she felt in his arms to the way her hair tickled his cheek. Especially the tight squeeze of her arms around him before she let go. 

“You still have the remote, right? If anything goes wrong, you signal me and we’ll meet right here.”

“Understood.”

“Okay, that’s it I guess,” she said with a sad smile. 

“What about..?” he said, gesturing to her earrings. 

“Oh yes, you need these.” Her laughter sounded a little nervous. He could imagine it would be very strange for her to give up her Miraculous. “I’ll just go behind that chimney and leave them there. Just give me a few minutes to get out of here.”

“See you soon,” he said, the sadness in his voice obvious to him and to her. 

“Good luck, kitty,” she said with a wave and disappeared. 

He took a deep breath and turned around to look into the night. He tried very hard not to listen in on her telling her kwami goodbye and to her footsteps as they retreated. But his heart felt heavy. 

Who was he going to ask for help? He didn’t have many people he trusted. He couldn’t use one of the former heroes anyway. He felt so lonely all of a sudden.

But then grey and pink swirled in his mind, hair in twin buns like mouse ears flashed in front of his eyes, accompanied by a friendly smile. There was only one who had experience with a Miraculous and who he was close to. Marinette. He still didn’t agree with his lady that they couldn’t trust her with the Miraculous again. She’d done great and deserved another chance.

He realised he was smiling. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. He’d love spending some time with Marinette, getting to know this side of her better. The one that didn’t shy away from him for some reason. Where she let her creativity and quick thinking to shine through. A treacherous flutter of his heart reminded him that he’d welcome this opportunity. If he’d been a little confused about his feelings for Marinette recently, no matter how hard he’d tried to deny it, he now had a chance to see what this was about. 

Of course he’d stay focused on the task at hand, he reminded himself, almost hearing his lady’s reprimanding voice telling him not to get distracted in his mind. But there was nothing wrong in enjoying the time with his new partner, right? After all, friendship was such an important part of partnership. 

He suddenly returned into the present. Reminding himself that he was alone and had to make a move. But he felt peaceful, because his mind was set. He knew what to do. This was why he didn’t even pause to put on the earrings. He put them in his pocket and grabbed the Miracle egg, jumping off into the night. 

He could imagine Marinette’s surprise when he appeared on her balcony. Would she be willing to help him? He didn’t see why not. She wasn’t one to back down from a challenge and she didn’t seem to mind his company. 

But he never got the chance to see her reaction. When he arrived, her balcony was empty and he saw that the lights were off in her room. She’d probably gone to bed. It was already getting late and they had school the next day.

He stifled a disappointed sigh, but then noticed a lonely notebook and a pen left over from her doing homework earlier probably. He grinned. All was not lost. He took the pen, twirling it a little in his fingers and trying to find the right way to hold it with his claws. The note he left was barely legible, but then again, it was a good thing his handwriting couldn’t be recognised. It wasn’t long anyway. Just a time and place for her to meet him if she wanted to help him. He left the box with the Miraculous on top of it and looked around one last time. 

Well, here goes nothing, he said to himself. Everything depended on her decision but he wouldn’t know what it was until the next evening. He still had a job to do so he headed home to get some rest. 


	2. In a tangle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien hopes that Marinette would help him, but her answer is not what he expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give Marinette's perspective on the whole thing, but I couldn't think of a way, because a whole chapter from her POV wouldn't add much to the story especially since I can't imagine her having deep conversations with Mullo for some reason, haha. Well, I think we all know how she must feel and getting Adrien's perspective is still key. I hope you agree!

When Adrien arrived at the arranged place the next evening, he felt nervous. Too much depended on Marinette’s answer. He trusted her and wanted her as his partner. But in the end it was up to her, he couldn’t force her to agree. So he really hoped that her answer would be positive.

He tried to distract himself by exercising with the yo-yo. It didn’t feel as alien in his hand as the first time he’d tried it out, but it was still far from the familiarity he had with his baton. He needed to train before the next akuma attack unless he wanted to make a fool of himself. 

It was going well until he slipped and somehow ended up in a heap with the yo-yo hopelessly tangled around him. 

“Am I supposed to be impressed by this display?” He heard Marinette’s voice. He looked up from his place on the roof with a smile. She’d come! But then he felt humiliation wash over him because of the state she’d caught him in. She was looking at him with an expression that was so similar to his lady’s unimpressed face that he felt his heart skip a beat. Was it possible that he already missed her so bad that he was imagining things? He blinked and everything righted itself. 

It was just Marinette in Multimouse’s suit. His eyes took in the adorable mouse ears/buns, the mask around her eyes and traced the contours of her suit all the way down to the soles of her feet before he could stop himself. _Stop ogling her_ , he wanted to shout at himself, _you’ve already made a fool of yourself_.

“Um, not the best first impression, I’m afraid,” he said, trying to distract himself from these totally unexpected thoughts. The warmest smile graced her face. 

“Don’t worry, I made a few bad jumps with the rope before I got the hang of it. I fell face-first more times that I’d want to admit,” she said, her laughter ringing in the night. She held out her hand and helped him to get up. 

“So it can be our embarrassing secret?” he asked. “I would never hear the end of it if my.. Um, Ladybug got wind of this.” Something flashed in her eyes, but her smile didn’t waver.

“Of course.” 

“I’m so happy you are here,” he said as he retracted the string of his yo-yo and stretched. This time he didn’t miss her appreciative glance at him and grinned at her. But at his words her face fell and he felt his heart sink.

“Let’s sit down,” she said and her serious tone made him sober up completely. “Let me start by saying that I’m so touched by your trust in me. I’m happy you think I’m worthy of another chance.”

“You are. You did a wonderful job. You've also helped me as a civilian before. You’ll be great as Multimouse,” he said, hoping that he’d somehow manage to convince her but he could already see it in her eyes, she was shutting him off. 

“I really appreciate that,” she said with a small smile. “But I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

“I’ll understand if you don’t want to, it’s your choice after all, but it will make me very sad,” he said, deciding to be completely honest with her.

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that I’ve been very busy and stretching myself thin. I don’t really need one more responsibility on top of everything else.” This he could understand. He knew Marinette took upon herself so much that she was almost as busy as him, which was a lot. “But also I don’t feel well. I was babysitting this little girl and she was a little sick. I won’t normally catch a bug so easily, but in my current state? I think I’m already feeling it.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” he said. “I understand. Like I said, you’ve always been free to say no. But if you don’t feel alright, it’s understandable. You should take care of yourself first.”

“Thank you,” she said, gratitude in her eyes. “I’m sorry if this makes things harder for you.”

“I admit I’m in a pretty difficult situation. It was me who offered to take over from Ladybug because she has been pretty tired lately and needs the rest. Just like you.” Her smile faltered for a second, but he didn’t make too much of it. “But I didn’t think things through. I should have expected that I’d need a partner. Ladybug can take on an akumatised villain on her own but that’s because she’s much better at this than me.”

“I’m sure you can do a great job too,” she said. 

“You saw me just now, right?” They both laughed. “I’m trying but still I’m afraid that I’ll have to learn on the job and might make a lot of mistakes. That’s why I’ll need someone to watch my back.”

“This makes sense. You might think that Ladybug is very good at what she does, but I think that it only looks easy for her. She has you there to help her after all and that must make a difference.” There was something in her voice, as if she needed him to believe her. He smiled.

“I know how important a good partner is. So I feel stumped. The last big battle against Hawk Moth cost us a lot. All of our temporary heroes were compromised. So while I have the Miraculouses at my disposal, I don’t know who to give one. You were the first and obvious choice, because you have experience and I trust you. But I don’t know who else I could turn to.”

“I”m sorry,” she said in a small voice. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll try to think of something,” he said. He didn’t want to make her feel guilty. He just wished he didn’t feel so hopeless all of a sudden.

“I should give you the Miraculous back then,” she said, moving as if to remove the necklace from around her neck.

“No,” he said, stopping her. For some reason this thought made him feel even worse. He couldn't imagine giving this particular Miraculous to someone else. “Keep it.”

“But I thought I would need it only if I were to help you,” she said, looking at him baffled. It made sense of course, they were not going around giving away Miraculouses for people to keep. 

“Just for a little while. I’ll feel better knowing that you have it. Of course Ladybug would take it back when she comes back. But keep it, please.”

“Ok, I don’t see why not. Mullo is pretty cute,” she said with a smile. 

“Ah, I’m glad to hear that. I’m pretty happy with Ladybug’s kwami. It’s a big change from what I’m used to,” he said with a laugh. No smelly cheese and daily grumbles, for one. Another inscrutable expression passed across her face, before she smiled again.

“You’ll get the hang of this, I’m sure. Don’t doubt yourself,” she said and he was surprised to feel a hand squeeze his. He appreciated her faith in him. It somehow made him feel less lonely. 

“Thank you, Marinette.” Their eyes met for a second and he wished he could tell her how much he’d looked forward to spending time with her. But it wasn’t the right moment or appropriate at all for that matter. He could swear she wanted to say something more too, but he had no idea what it could have been.

“I’d better go,” she said suddenly and got up. “Good luck.”

She turned around and disappeared into the night before he could react. 

There he was again, alone and with no idea what to do. He’d had such hopes for that evening only to have them dashed. He headed home after a cursory patrol. He was still lucky that Hawk Moth had been lying low but he had to train and hope that he would be good enough to deal with him on his own when the time came.


	3. Signs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Adrien tries to find a solution to his situation, he arrives at some startling conclusions. Which only seem to get confirmed when he visits a sick classmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let this be another example of why you should never underestimate Adrien. Desperate times lead to desperate realisations.

Sleep didn’t come easy that night. 

The first thing that troubled him was the uneasy feeling that Marinette had lied to him. At first, her explanation had seemed logical and something he could believe since he knew her way of life. But there had been something about the way she’d seemed desperate for him to believe her and not delve deeper into her motives. He didn’t peg Marinette as a person who would lie easily and without a good reason. Of course, she might have her own reason for not wanting to help him and might have used an excuse to spare his feelings. But this didn't make him feel better at all. 

However, the more pressing matter was the hopeless situation he was in. Over and over he went through his friends in his mind. The result was always the same. It wasn’t enough that people he considered reliable and trustworthy from his class could no longer be superheroes. If he had to choose himself, Alya and Nino would be the first choices but they were both not an option. Kagami, who he admired for her bravery and sharp thinking, also couldn’t be given a Miraculous. Luka, who he looked up to as someone more composed and wiser than him, was also on the list.

He could have hesitated before giving Kim a Miraculous but maybe it was about finding the right one for him. Max was smart and could think his way out of a difficult situation, so another person he could have used. As well as he knew Chloe and trusted her as a life-long friend, she wouldn’t be his first choice but she’d helped them a number of times too. 

As he went through the list, he couldn’t help noticing a pattern. What were the chances that he knew all the temporary Miraculous holders? And some of them were very close friends to him. He knew Max had been given a Miraculous out of necessity. Luka had also received his after he had failed as Aspik.

Oh. He’d totally forgotten to include himself in that list. Ladybug had given him a Miraculous! And she’d been looking for him, her choice hadn’t been driven by lack of alternative like in some other cases. He was sure that most of the time her choice of a partner had been determined by circumstances. But he was sure that she wouldn’t give a Miraculous just to some random person. He was sure that each of her choices was someone she knew and trusted.

While Alya was someone they knew as superheroes, he wasn’t sure this warranted trusting her with a Miraculous. Would it be too much to think that Ladybug knew her in her everyday life too? This was the biggest lead because he knew who Alya’s best friend was. And when he used that as the first clue, it was easy to see the relationship of each of the people that had held a Miraculous with her. Marinette. 

It wasn’t the first time he’d thought that she could be Ladybug, right? And while he still couldn’t explain how she’d ended up as Multimouse if his suspicions were true, he was sure there was a logical explanation. 

Of course, he could be wrong. It could be his own mind playing tricks on him even when he tried to be reasonable. Because there was an element of wishful thinking there that he didn’t want to let give him false hope. He would be ecstatic if his lady turned out to be Marinette but he shouldn’t let his feelings cloud his judgement. 

*

The next day dawned without a solution to his predicament. He could see Tikki looking at him and wanting to encourage him, but there wasn’t much she could say to make him feel better. 

When he arrived at school, he was tired and feeling very dejected. But as lost as he was in his own gloomy thoughts, he didn’t miss Alya telling Miss Bustier that Marinette was sick. 

He instantly felt bad for doubting Marinette’s words and for suspecting her of having an ulterior motive for wanting to avoid being his partner. He was also worried about her. That was how he ended up asking Alya if she minded if he took Marinette’s homework home for her. 

“You want to bring Marinette’s homework to her?” She asked, looking at him in astonishment. He couldn’t blame her, it was a strange request to have.

“I have some time before I have to be home. And I know you and Nino have plans?” It was true, they’d been talking about seeing that movie for so long.

“You are sure you don’t mind?”

“Mind? I’d love to. I’m worried about her so I’d like to make sure there isn’t anything else she needs too.” 

“You know what? I’m sure she would love seeing you. So it’s great that you have time for that,” Alya concluded with a smile. And this was it.

*

He found himself at the bakery after school, waiting for Marinette’s mum to finish dealing with customers. 

“Adrien!” She exclaimed when it was his turn. “How can I help you?”

“I’m here for Marinette, Mrs Cheng. I have her homework,” he said and was surprised by her gasp of delight.

“That’s so sweet of you! Go ahead, she’s resting, but I’m sure she’d love to see you! Just keep your distance, you don’t want to catch what she has.”

“Thank you!”

He got up the stairs quickly but paused when he reached Marinette’s room and knocked on her trap door. 

“Yes,” he heard Marinette’s hoarse voice answer and pushed it open. 

“It’s me, Marinette, I’m bringing your homework,” he said. He saw a pale face look at him down from her loft bed and then she groaned and lied down again.

“Oh, Adrien, that’s so kind of you,” she said. “I’m sorry I can’t come to you but I can barely stand upright and also you better stay away from me,” she finished with a nervous giggle that turned into a cough.

“It’s ok. I just wanted to check on you. You seemed fine yesterday. In school, I mean," he added and felt like an idiot. But she didn't seem to notice that slip. 

“Would you believe me if I said that this must be what karma feels like?” she said. He was surprised by the rawness in her voice. It was obvious that something was troubling her. It was unexpected that she wanted to confide in him, but then again she was sick and probably just wanted to talk to someone. Also maybe she was on some medication that loosened her tongue.

“Why would you think that?”

“I lied, Adrien. I lied that I was getting sick, because I had to get out of a.. Situation. And then I really got sick.”

He felt pain shoot through him. He’d been right then. She’d really wanted so bad to avoid being his partner that she’d lied. 

“I know it’s bad, trust me. And it hurt like hell because I had to lie to a person that is very important to me. But I couldn’t see a way out because I couldn’t just admit the real reason I couldn’t agree without revealing too much. And… “ He could feel her getting overexcited and rushed to reassure her.

“It’s ok, Marinette. I’m sure you had a very good reason to do it. And I’m sure you’re not being punished for this.” He tried very hard to keep his cool too. Her words only added to his suspicions. He felt dizzy as he realised that it really could be his lady lying in bed sick not far from him. 

“But I wake up sick just hours after lying!”

“Viruses don’t really care about lies, Marinette” he said, trying to stifle a chuckle. Trust her to panic about something like this. Somehow it was easier to push aside his own worries when he had to calm her down.

“Maybe. It’s no wonder really. I’ve been so tired lately,” she mumbled. Yes, this was why he was in the situation he was in and she’d had to lie. He’d inadvertently made her lie so she could get the rest she needed so bad. Of course, this was true only if he was right. 

“It’s your body telling you you need to rest. If you don’t listen to it, it has this way of getting what it needs,” he said. 

“Huh, I guess you’re right.”

“I better leave you to sleep then. I hope you feel better soon.”

“Thank you, Adrien. For listening to me rambling and for the homework and.. Everything.”   
“It’s no trouble, really.” There was so much more he wanted to ask and to say. But this was not the time. 

And with that he left. If he was right, he at least had a way to visit his lady and make sure she was getting the rest she needed, he thought. He would have to wait for her to feel better before he could confirm his suspicions, while still trying to find a way to deal with everything else until she could come back. He had to do it for her.


	4. The truth unleashed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last thing Adrien needed was an akuma and this is what he got, as well as unexpected help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who put an akuma fight in my fic??

“I can’t believe I went and gave a Miraculous to Ladybug herself,” Adrien mumbled. He’s been trying hard to avoid thinking about this for a day. School, fencing, more training as Mister Bug had all helped to keep his mind occupied. But not surprisingly he came back a full circle and he still couldn’t wrap his head around this.

“Tikki,” he said, calling to the kwami that he had just watched eat her evening macaron. She wasn’t a glutton like Plagg, eating in every spare minute that much was clear.

“Yes, Adrien?” She said, zipping next to him.

“Are you going to pull off a Plagg and tell me you have no idea what I’m talking about if I ask you if Marinette is Ladybug?”

To her credit, she kept her poker face, but her antennae twitched. 

“When did you ask Plagg?” she asked finally.

“Believe it or not, I put two and two together before. And on much less evidence too. But then Multimouse happened and yeah. That was it.”

“You know I can’t tell you a thing.”

“I might be wrong, but I believe that with her being the guardian, it is not that necessary to keep that a secret,” he said pointedly.

“It’s up to her.”   
“Tikki, I’m 99% sure!” He said, frustrated.

“Ah, but you still need someone to confirm that 1% for you, right?” She said with a smile.

“Yes, I need it, it’s driving me crazy,” he groaned. 

“You’ll have to talk to her about it.”   
“I know, but she’s sick and I’m worried and still impatient and… argh..”

“You can always call Marinette and check on her,” Tikki shrugged. He looked at her in amazement. She was right! He didn't think he’d ever gotten his phone out so fast, going through the contacts with determination. He paused for a second, taking a deep breath. It felt surreal to see her name there and know, maybe not for a fact, but _feel it_ deep inside that it was her. He could barely breathe while he waited for it to dial. 

“Adrien?” He heard her voice and practically melted on his bed.

“Hey, Marinette,” he said, forcing himself to sound normal. “How are you?”

“I’m better, I guess,” she said, laughing nervously. “I had a fever earlier today, but now I just feel tired.”

“I was worried when you weren’t at school today too. Just wanted to check on you.”

“That’s so sweet of you.” He wanted to keep talking, to listen to her voice. But he was afraid that he might let something slip and she also needed to rest.

“I’ll leave you so you can prepare for bed.”

“I’ve been in bed all day,” she said with a giggle.

“Good. You need to rest and you’ll feel better in no time.”

“Good night, Adrien.”

“Good night, Marinette.”

He sighed happily when the connection ended. He was just about to thank Tikki for her suggestion, when the phone in his hand lit up with an akuma alert. He groaned, sitting up. It had been too much to hope that Hawk Moth would give him more time, right?

“You can do this,” he heard Tikki’s voice and felt her nuzzle his cheek. 

“I surely hope so,” he said, getting up with a huff. 

*

The akuma wasn’t too bad. At least it wasn’t going around destroying the city, but it was still tricky. He was trying to figure out how to approach it, when he heard someone land next to him and he whirled around. 

“My.. Marinette, what are you doing here?” he exclaimed. 

“Helping you, of course,’ she said perkily, but she looked awfully pale under her mask. 

“You don’t look very well,” he commented, remembering in the last moment that he couldn’t just blurt out that she was supposed to be recovering from her fever at home. He wanted to kick himself. Why did he have to insist on her keeping the Miraculous? If she was Ladybug, her instinct to help would be just too strong. That was why she hadn’t kept a Miraculous for herself, she knew she’d be tempted to use it.

“Tell me what we have here,” she said, switching into Ladybug mode without realising it. Despite himself, he felt a smile tug on the corner of his lips. 

“Someone stole the man’s dog. Now he goes through Paris gathering all the strays. He’s not violent, but the dogs are an issue.”

“Do you have a plan?” _ I do - getting you out of here as soon as possible, _ he thought. 

“Would it be too much to ask you to stay away while I deal with this?” He asked, feeling desperate.

“This doesn’t sound like something a good partner would do,” she said. He resisted the urge to groan. 

“Lucky Charm!” he called and watched the dog whistle fall in his hand. He didn’t have time to lose and he’d never felt more determined in his life. He had to be fast and get Marinette home before she could exhaust herself further.

“Good, I think I got this,” he said. The plan formed surprisingly easy in his mind. “I’ll be right back.” He didn’t even give her time to react, he was off.

Trying to approach the man silently from behind proved to be easy. The dogs made quite a din. So he hoped he would be able to get close enough, using the whistle to keep the dogs from himself, and grab the leash from the man’s hand. 

He was so close, daring to hope that he got it, when a small dog started yapping at him and the man was halfway turned towards him before he could react. But then the akumatised villain turned in the other direction, his attention caught by something. The sight of a group of tiny Multimice running around and calling for attention made him grind his teeth.

He didn’t let himself get distracted. The stakes were now even higher so he just jumped into action. The leash was in his hand in a second, he tugged at it and watched the butterfly break free with a smile. 

He sent the poor man towards the police station to look for his dog and once the dogs dispersed, he turned towards where all the small Marinettes had been only to find her returning to her original size.

She swayed on her feet and he was beside her in an instant. 

“Let’s get you home,” he said, taking her into his arms. 

“Put me down, I can walk,” she protested weakly. 

“You are too stubborn for your own good,” he said. He was trying to figure out how to carry her and use the yo-yo at the same time, but when he looked around he realised they were quite close to the bakery so he could just walk there. It was already dark and after the akuma attack, the streets were mostly empty. 

“You shouldn’t have come,” he said as he headed towards her home. “I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if something had happened to you. I could handle him.”

“You’re my partner, I couldn’t just leave you to deal with this on your own, kitty,” the last word was barely audible but he heard it. He looked down at the girl in his arms in astonishment, only to see that her eyes were closed as her head rested on his shoulder. The poor girl was so tired, she probably hadn’t realised what she was saying. 

His heart beating loudly in his ears, he paused to use the yo-yo to get them to her balcony. He was down her skylight in a minute, laying Marinette down on her bed.

“Marinette, just call off Mullo,” he whispered. She mumbled the words in her sleep and the suit was gone as the kwami went in search of its snack. He hastily pushed the covers over Marinette, who was already in her pajamas, and only then allowed himself to take a relieved breath. 

She was fine. Probably exhausted, but she’d sleep and she would be ok. That was why he had to leave but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

There was nothing that he wanted more than to curl up next to her and stay. To hold her in his arms throughout the night and watch her sleep. He’d been convinced that there was no way to fall any deeper in love with her. But as he watched the sleeping girl, he realised he’d been so wrong. He loved her even more now that he knew how adorably clumsy his lady could be and how amazing she was in everyday life too, probably without realising it. 

He’d always been in love with the shy girl sitting behind him in class, he realised, he’d just been too consumed by his feelings for Ladybug to admit it. Which was funny, since they were one and the same.

He felt happy because he’d finally found her, but he couldn’t tell her, not yet. And this didn’t change things much right? She was still in love with someone else and as unattainable as ever.

It was amazing how his heart could feel soaring with happiness and heavy with despair at the same time. 

Adrien was glad when he heard the earrings beep because he was already being creepy. He didn’t have much time left. So without thinking too much about it, he leaned down and placed a small kiss on the top of her head. 

“Sleep well, m’lady,” he whispered and left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be just a pinch of longing but it hit me hard 🥺


	5. Soothing kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien knows that he has no other choice but to admit everything to Marinette and hope for the best. He gets even more than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought I'd torture them much longer, you're probably new. I welcome all new readers and I hope no one is disappointed that this is coming to an end. But that's me, I'm a softie, I need them to be happy. I hope you like this final chapter!

Thankfully, Adrien didn't have to wait too long before he saw her again. Although at this point every minute was too much, especially when he had to worry and hope that Hawk Moth didn’t decide to strike again before he could talk to her. 

He was already contemplating calling her again that evening when he arrived at school and saw her there. He acted on instinct. It had been just two days, but he needed this. He strode towards the girls and when Marinette looked at him with a shy smile, he almost lost it. He pulled her into his arms, not paying attention to the surprised comments around them. She stiffened too, no doubt taken aback by this unexpected display of affection, but then relaxed into him.

“I’m so glad you’re ok, Marinette,” he said, hoping his voice wouldn’t betray him. He wanted to say so much more. He didn’t want to let her go, but he forced himself to do it. He didn’t want to scare her.

“Thank you, Adrien,” she said when he pulled back. 

She looked confused and the most adorable blush covered her cheeks and argh. This was so much harder than expected. He smiled and tried to act normally, but he was dying inside. He had to wait until school was over before he could talk to her and it felt like forever.

*

He’d wondered if he could just go visit her as himself but had decided that going straight into explanations about who he was and why he was there would be too much. When he told Tikki he needed her, she just smiled and nodded encouragingly. She knew what he had to do. 

When he arrived on Marinette’s balcony, he felt uncharacteristically shy. He wanted to do this right and he didn’t know where to start. Before he could put an end to his dawdling, she came outside. 

“I thought I heard you,” she said with a warm smile.

“You look much better,” he blurted out and she raised an eyebrow. “I mean, not sick. You don’t look sick anymore.” He wanted to sink into the ground and disappear. At this rate, she’d be glad to see his back very soon. 

“Yes, I’m much better,” she said, looking at him curiously. Of course she was surprised to see him act like that. He really needed to get to the matter at hand before he made a fool of himself. More than he had already. “What brings you here?” Her question was only to be expected, she had no way of knowing what was going on in his head.

“I come to take the Miraculous back,” Adrien said with a sigh. He’d expected to see relief but instead her eyes widened.

“But why? I’m not sick anymore, you don’t have to worry about me. I’d love to help you whenever you need me. You’re not mad at me, are you?” she said, panic rising in her voice.

“What? No, it’s ok!” He said quickly and saw her relax. “But it kind of defeats the purpose if what you need is a break and you still end up helping me, m’lady,” he said gently. She gasped and covered her face with her hands.

“I messed up, didn’t I? I said something incriminating when I was too tired to think, right?” She said, her voice muffled. He reached out and removed her hands, making her look at him.

“It was only the last puzzle piece I needed,” he said. “The signs were too many to ignore already. I hope you’re not mad.”

“I’m not,” she said with a sigh. “It’s just my luck that you had to give me a Miraculous,” she added with a rueful smile.

“I’m sorry. You were the only person that I could think of who I could trust with this and who I wanted as my partner. Go figure,” he said with a crooked smile.

“So now I can’t have it?” 

“It’s obvious you can’t be trusted to have a Miraculous and still rest, so yes, I’m taking it back,” he replied. She pouted but still gave him back the necklace. 

“Will it be too much to ask you to come visit me from time to time?” She asked in a small voice, looking bashful. He blinked a few times in confusion. “It’s just that I realised this would be very hard since I miss you more than expected and that’s why I was happy I had a Miraculous I could use to see you sometimes. And…”  _ Oh. _

“Of course I’ll come visit!” He said. “Oh God, it was hard enough for me to limit myself to social visits and the occasional phone call to make sure you’re ok.”

It was her turn to look at him in not just surprise but shock. He realised it wasn’t the most subtle way to tell her, but he had no idea where to start anyway. 

“Adrien?” she whispered. 

“Yes, I hope you don’t mind that you know too,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. This was the thing. What if she didn’t want to know? But it was already too late. “It’s just a bit too much for me to hide. I hate lying to you and pretending.”

She still looked like she was in shock, her mouth opening and closing with no words coming out.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” he asked, worried. She took a step back and collapsed into her deck chair with a yelp.

“Am I fine?” She said with a squeak. “I just found that I’ve been turning down my crush because I’m in love with him and I’m so stupid…” She was back to hiding behind her hands and shaking her head violently.

“Um what?” He asked, because he was sure he hadn't heard right. She didn’t mean to say that she was in love with him, right?”

“Yes, Adrien, it was you all along and I feel totally wretched,” she whined.

“But you said…”

“I know! I’m sorry. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you how I feel!”

He felt completely dumbfounded. This was the last thing he’d expected. But then he felt his lips stretch into a smile that quickly became a full-blown grin. She was in love with him!

“You’re in love with me,” he whispered and she finally looked up at him. She smiled when she saw his expression.

“Yes, I am. Are you just going to stand there?” He was beside her in a blink of an eye, kneeling in front of her. 

“Is it too much to hope that…” he said, taking her hand. He didn’t even know how to say it, but she nodded anyway as if she understood. And then she leaned in and placed the softest kiss on his lips and he practically melted. 

“Um,” he said, holding up a finger.

“No, I’m no longer contagious, don’t worry about that,” she said with a giggle.

“That’s good to know but not what I meant,” he said. “Do you mean it? You want us to be together?”

“You need me to spell it out for you?” she asked, amused.

“Yes, please.”

“Yes, I want to be with you, kitty. In every possible form in fact,” she added with a wide smile. This time he kissed her and it felt even more amazing. So amazing in fact that he wanted to do it for the rest of his life.

“I really hope you don’t get sick,” she said when they came up for air. 

“If I do, you’ll take care of me,” he said with a smile.   
“I will, yes,” she agreed.   
“In sickness and in health,” he sighed dreamily. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, we’re not getting married,” she laughed. 

“I know, sorry,” he said, but oh, what a wonderful thought! 

“What are you going to do now?” She asked suddenly, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. 

“Ah, that was another thing I wanted to discuss with you. I thought long and hard. And I know who I want to ask for help, but I also want to run it by you.”   
“I’m listening.”

“It’s Nathaniel.” Her face lit up instantly.

“That’s a great idea!”

“He helped us when we fought Reverser,” he said, explaining his reasoning. 

“And he always wanted to be a superhero! He’s been dreaming of a chance to be the good guy after getting akumatised. He’s a great choice!” He was glad she agreed. “Do you have a Miraculous in mind?”

“I was thinking about the dragon. I need someone to provide distraction, diversion and watch my back. I think this will be the right one. Since I don’t want to give the mouse to anyone else but you,” he added. The expression on her face brought him up short. “What?”   
“I’m so proud of you,” she said and the adoration in her eyes was almost too much. “I knew you could do this. I was never afraid of you messing up.”

“I did though, remember, little mouse?” he said pointedly. She laughed.

“It would have worked if your trusted friend hadn’t turned out to be your partner too,” she said.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, emphasising his words with a short kiss. “So you think it’ll work?”

“I hope Nathaniel agrees,” she said, nodding. 

“I have this. You can rest assured that Paris is safe,” he said. 

“I know, thank you. And I know I need this break, it’s long overdue. But I can’t wait to be back there with you all the same,” she said.

“Soon,” he said. He vowed to help her organise her life and be better positioned to deal with all the stress in the future. He wanted her back, but he wanted her to feel better more than anything and he was going to help in any way he could. 

**Author's Note:**

> Do you want a beta-reader or someone to discuss ideas with? You can find many on the [ Miraculous Fanworks Discord](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)!


End file.
